Language guidelines

Core values

Your core values guide the important decisions: who you partner with, who you hire (and fire), and what services you provide. Utilize them on your website and in social media to enhance audience engagement. They also set the tone of voice for your brand.

We are unwavering champions.

We’re not afraid of a challenge. When we believe in something, we make quick decisions and become your biggest supporter.

We are accessible problem solvers.

Partnering with us is easy. Passion and strong leadership move the needle faster than applications and grant writing.

We are knowledgeable guides.

We don’t just write checks. We do the research to advise and empower you for the long term.

About Statement

The about statement is a short, straightforward, and memorable answer to a common question: “what do you do?” Use it for a quick introduction in speech or print. This can also be your mission statement.

We invest in, guide, and champion leaders, nonprofits, and initiatives that make a lasting impact on our community’s quality of life.

Elevator pitch

The elevator pitch is meant to make a connection. It’s a memorable introduction to Murry Foundation — what we do, why we do it, and why it matters. Use the elevator pitch to start a conversation with a potential partner.

We are a family foundation that does more than write checks. We invest our passion, time, and finances in empowering strong leaders and nonprofits to drive widespread, positive change in our communities. Always seeing our investments through, we develop long-term partnerships that help people access a better quality of life.

Headlines

A headline starts a conversation. But a good headline doesn’t finish one. Use these on the website and in print to get a reader’s attention and encourage them to read more.

We’ll match your passion

We do more than fund good ideas

We don’t just write checks

Systemic change starts here

We make it easier to do hard things

From generations for generations

A resource for change

Here are some style points to keep in mind.

Active voice

Use the active voice. In active sentences, the subject does the action. In passive sentences, the subject has the action done to it.

Contractions

Contractions help our writing feel friendly and conversational. Use them like you do in everyday speech.

Exclamation points

Exclamation points can be effective when used sparingly. However, they can also appear unprofessional and overly excited. Use them primarily in response to comments on social media.

Headlines

Capitalize only the first letter of headlines. Use a period if the headline is a complete sentence.

Keep sentences and paragraphs short. Leaving room to breathe makes content easier to read, reference, and remember.

Oxford comma

To avoid ambiguity, use the Oxford comma before the last item in a list.